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Celebrating 100 Years of Stoke-on-Trent
We proudly marked the 100th anniversary of Stoke-on-Trent being granted city status with a specially updated nameplate on Pendolino 390129, now reading City of Stoke-on-Trent 1925–2025.
In partnership with the Stoke 100 campaign, we unveiled the new nameplate at London Euston before the train travelled to the city carrying civic leaders for the official celebrations on 5 June, which was also the first ever Stoke-on-Trent Day - now to be held annually to honour the city's heritage and communities.
The train was warmly welcomed at Stoke-on-Trent station by the Lord Mayor, Councillor Steve Watkins, MPs Allison Gardner, David Williams, and Gareth Snell, as well as friends and colleagues of our much-missed team member Brett Hobson. Brett is commemorated with a nameplate on the same train following his passing in 2022.
Read more here.
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Recognised for Rail Safety Impact
In June, we were recognised for our contribution to rail safety with the presentation of a gold disc during a Rail Safety Week event at Crewe station. The award highlights our continued support for the Rail Safe Friendly Programme, an initiative led by Learn Live to help educate young people about the dangers of trespassing on the railway.
Since joining the programme in 2024, we’ve helped 181 schools along our route access virtual rail safety lessons via Learn Live’s platform. These sessions are designed to equip students with the knowledge they need to stay safe around rail infrastructure.
The Rail Safe Friendly Programme was launched in 2023 and was inspired by the story of 11-year-old Harrison Ballantyne, who tragically died after being electrocuted by overhead power lines while trying to retrieve a football from a rail freight depot. The initiative aims to reach every school in the UK by 2027.
The gold disc was presented at Crewe station, where we hosted a networking event to bring together rail industry colleagues and safety advocates to share progress and explore ways to expand the programme’s reach.
Stuart Heaton, Founder of the Rail Safe Friendly Programme, added:“Our partnership with Avanti West Coast has been instrumental in expanding the programme’s reach. Thanks to their support, we’ve been able to deliver safety messages to thousands more students. Educating young people about the dangers of the railway is vital to preventing future tragedies, and with Avanti’s ongoing involvement, we are one step closer to our goal of enrolling every school in the UK by 2027.”
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We have been actively supporting the people, places and communities we serve, including launching our Feel Good Futures programme, commemorating Railway 200, raising money through two Railway Children challenges, and supporting projects through our Community Rail Partnerships.
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We have delivered major enhancements at Coventry and Wigan North Western stations, investing over £1.6 million to improve accessibility, customer experience, and heritage preservation, highlighted by a new skylight and signage upgrade at Coventry and a redesigned entrance, improved facilities, and new Welcome Host roles at Wigan.
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With the May timetable uplift now underway, we are continuing to add more services than were in operation at the start of the franchise. This phased approach will ultimately see us operating up to 10 trains per hour, including the full introduction of two trains per hour on the Liverpool route, strengthening connectivity and supporting growth across the UK.
In addition, we’ve shared details of significant engineering work taking place this August, which will temporarily affect some services as we carry out vital improvements.
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We’ve launched a new virtual work experience programme to inspire young people to consider careers in the rail industry. Designed to be accessible and engaging, this initiative is part of our ongoing commitment to creating opportunities and encouraging diversity across the sector. In line with our focus on inclusion, we’ve also recently introduced free period care products onboard our trains, enhancing the travel experience and helping to ensure all customers feel comfortable and supported when they journey with us.
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